My 2 Cents

My 2 Cents

Obama recently said it might be
time to stop minting the penny.He
acknowledged government waste, and, after all, at 2.41 cents to produce a
penny, a penny saved is a penny earned.

Under his administration, President
Obama has never signed a budget, we have over five trillion in new debt, we have
jumped from one self-inflicted financial crisis to another, sequestration, and
so on.Every journey begins with a
single step and maybe the PresidentÆs road to financial prosperity is paved by
nixing Abraham LincolnÆs coin. After all he still has the five-dollar
bill.

With all the disingenuous rhetoric
coming out Washington these days I am skeptical to take anything at face
value.Anyone who has ever had a
telephone, cable or their electricity turned off due to lack of payment knows
the power of being at the mercy of another.If you donÆt pay your traffic tickets or auto registration the state
will suspend your driverÆs license. If you donÆt pay your taxes and the
government finds out, you might go to jail. These are all ways to make sure you
do the right thing, if not by your own accord, then by force.

Now for a moment, envision a
society where there is no cash. First we get rid of the penny, then the nickel,
then the dime, and eventually we are completely cashless.

Many larger companies refuse to
mail paychecks; itÆs direct deposit or debit cards only.The same goes with Social Security checks:
starting March 1st it will only be direct deposit or debit cards.Southwest Airlines is now a cashless
cabin.No tangible cash would result in
ultimate control by the government.No
one could subvert tax by getting paid under the table; the fear of a run on the
bank would no longer exist.Instead of
throwing you in jail for tax evasion the IRS would simply take every ôpennyö
you have. You would have no way to operate in society until your debt has been
settled.You wouldnÆt be able to get by
on the stashed cash you have since it would be worthless. There would be no way to buy food or shelter.

And above all, think about the
benefits when it comes to the war on terror and the war on drugs?No more untraceable large amounts of cash
transferring hands. How would criminals operate?
How would one buy an illegal gun?

When you consider intrusive body
scans at the airport, speed cameras, license plate recognition systems and
countless other pieces of draconian legislation that we voluntarily accept in
the name of safety would a cashless society be all that hard to imagine?DonÆt be surprised if the elimination of the
penny is the camelÆs nose under the tent for society with no cash and not the PresidentÆs
answer to fiscal solvency.